Institutional Review Board

Welcome to the IRB!

The Institutional Review Board (IRB) is an independent committee whose mission is to protect the rights and welfare of human research participants.

IRB Members

What Does the IRB Review?

At Governors State University, all research involving human subjects must be reviewed by the IRB. The IRB adheres to the ethical principles of The Belmont Report and the requirements of the Code of Federal Regulations 45 CFR 46. The IRB meets monthly for full board reviews. Expedited and exempt submissions are reviewed on a rolling basis.

How to Submit an IRB Application?

Governors State University’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) uses Cayuse, an electronic system designed for the review and management of IRB protocols. IRB applications are integrated within Cayuse IRB. If you are new to the IRB process and need a Cayuse account, email the IRB at irb@govst.edu.

Cayuse IRB

CITI Training

All researchers must complete training in human subjects protection. The required training is the IRB/Basic Course in Social Behavioral Research or Biomedical Research. The training is available through CITI Program.

CITI Program

CIRTification Training for Community Research Partners

GovState’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) has joined CIRTification Online, a free human research protection training program for community members participating in community-academic research collaborations. For information about accessing this training for your community partners, contact the IRB at irb@govst.edu.

SMART IRB

GovState’s IRB has joined SMART IRB, the national IRB reliance initiative. SMART IRB is designed to ease common challenges associated with multisite research. For more information about SMART IRB, email irb@govst.edu.

SONA System

OSPR and the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) have licensed the SONA system. SONA is a participant pool management software that facilitates recruitment of student participants for lab and online studies. For information about using SONA, contact Figen Karadogan at fkaradogan@govst.edu.

IRB Resources

IRB Review

IRB approval or a determination that the project is exempt from IRB review must be obtained before any research involving human subjects is initiated. Please review these documents to familiarize yourself with the responsibilities of the Principal Investigator and Faculty Advisor, and the IRB review process.

What does the IRB review?
Responsibilities of the Principal Investigator
Responsibilities of the Faculty Advisor
Review Types
Other IRB Determinations
IRB Review Process

Instructions for CITI Training

To fulfill the IRB's requirement for training in human subjects protection, researchers must complete training through the CITI Program. Completion of training will certify a researcher for three years and enable the researcher to apply to the IRB for approval of research protocols.

Instructions for Researchers
Instructions for Undergraduate Students

Cayuse How Tos

Use these Instructions to submit an application for IRB review.

How to Submit a Questionnaire for Non-Human Subjects Research
How to Submit an Application for Initial Review
How to Submit a Modification
How to Submit a Renewal
How to Submit a Modification
How to Submit a Closure Report

Consent Templates

There is often a wide range of research activities and research participants, and one consent form may not be appropriate for all purposes. Depending on your study, you may choose from the templates below.

Written Informed Consent Form
Short Consent Form for Online Surveys
Verbal Consent Script
Additional Language for Consent Forms
Instructions for Consent Forms

IRB Education

In this section, you can find slides from GovState IRB educational events and related materials.

Introduction to OSPR and IRB
The IRB Process at GovState
Research Initiated at Previous Institutions
Issues in Human Subjects Research
Informed Consent for Vulnerable Populations
Research with AI
Common Rule ABCs with OHRP